44 THE QUEENS COURIER • COPING WITH DEATH • AUGUST 31, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
coping with death
Thomas M Quinn & Sons Funeral Home Celebrates
120 Years of Service to the Queens Community
Th e Quinn story began in America in
1850, when Michael Quinn came to New
York, to escape the great Irish potato
famine. Michael Quinn found work as a
surveyor, mapping out Western Queens
County under General George McClellan
(later, commander of the Union Army
during the Civil War). Th e borough of
Queens was a little more than farmland
and unspoiled forest back then… but
Michael Quinn apparently liked what he
saw and settled in the village of Astoria
with his wife Mary Malone. In July 1871,
a son, Th omas was born.
Th omas M. Quinn, as a young man saw
the small yet thriving community, across
the East River from Manhattan; develop
into a commercial, industrial and residential
center. Although, a licensed veterinarian,
in 1896 Mr. Quinn established
a funeral livery and undertaking business
on Fulton Street in Astoria. Th omas M.
Quinn saw the need to take funeral services
from the home and conduct them
in dignifi ed, convenient and comfortable
surroundings. Mr. Quinn probably didn’t
realize the impact of his business venture
at the time; this was to be the birth
of a “Legacy” in service to the community.
In 1928 the business moved to what
is now Atlantic bank on Broadway in
Astoria and in 1958 the business moved
again to its current location, “Th e Quinn
Memorial Building”
In 1989 Th e Quinn Family sold the
business to what would become Th e
Dignity Memorial Provider Network;
this network of funeral homes and cemeteries
that counts over 1600 nationwide is
the largest funeral provider in the world,
serving families in 70 major cities across
the United States.
In 1996 the Dignity Memorial
Network expanded further when George
Stamatiades owner of the David Funeral
and the Stamatiades Funeral Home merged
with Th omas M. Quinn and Sons to continue
the “Legacy” that had started generations
earlier, to serve families in their
time of need in Dignifi ed, Convenient and
Comfortable surroundings.
Some of the innovation created by Mr.
Quinn and his advanced planning concept
called “Quinn Care” continue today
with many families prearranging funerals
to simplify the process and remove the
burden of waiting to the last minute to
make decisions.
Other innovations and service enhancements
have been added to include
Bereavement Travel, which helps coordinate
travel arrangements for families,
the Everlasting Memorial, a video archive
that documents a person’s life with pictures
on a DVD; National Transferability,
which gives the fl exibility to families
who re-locate to have their pre-arranged
funeral plan travel with them; and other
programs designed to help you with the
myriad questions and issues that arise
when a death occurs.
In 2011 the strategy of expanding the
business to serve families here in Long
Island City and Astoria was realized yet
again with the addition of the Morisco
Funeral Home which shared a deep legacy
of families from Long Island City and
Astoria. Th e Morisco Funeral Home was
located on the corner of Astoria Blvd and
31st for many years.
George L. Stamatiades, Vice President
of Quinn Funeral Home and Kevin R.
Mack, General Manager, with the help of
3 additional funeral Directors, a Family
Service Counselor who Focuses on Pre-
Arranged Funeral Planning as well as
the other 15 full time and part time
staff associates continue “Th e Legacy” of
Service to the Community
All four Businesses operate from the
same facility in the “Quinn Memorial
Building”, located at 35-20 Broadway,
Long Island City, which houses 4 reposing
rooms on the second fl oor along with one
catering room, and the largest reposing
room in Queens County, “Th e Steinway
Suite”, on the third fl oor. Th e building
also has 2 comfortable arrangement offi ces
as well as an offi ce specifi cally used for
families who Pre-arrange funerals as well
as an on-site Casket Selection room.
The Management and Staff of Thomas
M. Quinn and Sons Funeral Homes along
with the other local providers, David
Funeral Home, Stamatiades Funeral Home
and Morisco Funeral Home are dedicated
to helping you celebrate your life or that
of a loved one with a funeral or memorial
service befi tting of the life lived.
As part of the Dignity Memorial® network,
Thomas M. Quinn & Sons Funeral
Homes will ensure you not only receive
the compassionate care you expect from
a locally operated establishment, but
also the value you deserve from North
America’s largest network of funeral, cremation
and cemetery service providers.
Thomas M. Quinn & Sons Funeral
Homes are also there for you if you’d like
to plan your funeral, cremation or cemetery
services in advance. Planning ahead
is a responsible, caring act that can reduce
stress for your grieving loved ones. It’s
easy to understand how making decisions
now about your fi nal arrangements can
help assure those left behind that your
wishes are being honored.
The Dignity Memorial network:
America’s leading funeral homes and
cemeteries, united to bring you the services
you need when it matters most.